Whole Foods Market is putting a new focus on the future of agriculture through its Next Generation Farmers Fund, a partnership with the National Young Farmers Coalition designed to help first-generation and young farmers overcome some of the biggest barriers to entering the industry.
The fund provides financial support to farmers who often lack the generational wealth, land and resources available to established farming families. Michelle Hughes, Executive Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition, said the need is particularly urgent. “The most important thing for farmers right now is relief. A lot of them are in survival mode.”
Whole Foods Market has a longstanding relationship with farmer-owned brands and is positioning the initiative as an extension of its commitment to supporting the food system. “Anyone who works in the food industry is keenly aware that there is a real sense of urgency to keep farmers farming on farmland to ensure that there’s a next generation to steward the land,” says Caitlin Leibert, Global Head of Sustainability at Amazon Worldwide Grocery. “The Fund is meant to catalyze industry-wide investment in the next generation of farming because we all depend on it.”
The program is especially relevant in Texas. Cody Brown, a first-generation farmer in San Antonio, plans to apply for funding to expand his produce operation, which grows mushrooms, zucchini, peppers and okra. Brown is also preparing to launch the Small Farmers Academy in 2027 to help aspiring farmers learn from his experience.
Whole Foods Market is also supporting the fund through its stores: 1% of revenue from its signature Berry Chantilly cake during August will be donated to the program.
The initiative is part of Whole Foods Market’s broader sustainability efforts highlighted in its 2025 Impact Report, which also includes $13 million directed toward children’s nutrition programs, food-waste reduction efforts and new sustainability standards for seafood.
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